1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a control system for electronic equipment comprising, for example, a plurality of A/V (Audio/Visual) equipment connected so as to be controlled by one controller.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, A/V equipment which can perform an OSD (On Screen Display) output and has a GUI (Graphic User Interface) function existed. In such equipment, for example, a control state set by the user by using a remote controller is displayed to a monitor connected to the equipment. Thus, the user can confirm a setting state of a control of the equipment even from a position away from the equipment.
In the conventional A/V equipment, it is possible to connect a plurality of equipment having the GUI function, to select a video output and an audio output of each equipment, and to supply them to, for example, a monitor.
However, hitherto, a remote controller to control each of those equipment is an exclusive-use controller for each equipment. Therefore, the user needs to exchange and grasp the different remote controller for each equipment to be operated and to operate it. There is, consequently, a problem such that the GUI function provided to inherently improve an operability causes a deterioration in operability due to the operation such that the user exchanges and grasps the different remote controller.
Hitherto, an A/V equipment such that a number of connected A/V equipment are controlled in a lump, for example, what is called an A/V amplifier also existed. According to such an A/V amplifier, information of the other A/V equipment connected is previously stored in a memory provided in the amplifier and a function is selected for the amplifier by a remote controller or the like using infrared rays is selected, thereby controlling the equipment connected.
Consideration will now be made with respect to a case where an A/V equipment having a control corresponding to the A/V amplifier, for example, what is called a CD (Compact Disc) changer in which a number of CDs are enclosed and a specific CD is selected from a number of CDs and is reproduced is connected to the A/V amplifier. In the A/V amplifier, when the CD changer is selected as a function, a control corresponding to the CD changer is displayed on a monitor connected to the amplifier. The user operates the remote controller or the like on the basis of the display, so that he can control the CD changer.
When the connected equipment is a CD changer, a list of titles of the CDs enclosed in the CD changer can be displayed on the monitor by a predetermined operation. The titles which are displayed in this instance are stored into the memory of the A/V amplifier by transmitting information represented by characters reproduced, for example, in the CD changer to the A/V amplifier or transmitting information represented by characters by a direct input to the A/V amplifier by a remote control unit or the like by the user. However, in the A/V amplifier, since the equipment which is connected cannot be specified, a large capacity in the memory cannot be allocated to the specific equipment. Therefore, there is a problem such that the A/V amplifier itself cannot display a large amount of information.
On the other hand, even in the foregoing CD changer, the changer having the GUI function exists. In this case, in addition to the titles of the CDs enclosed in the CD changer, much information such as names of artists, titles of pieces of music recorded in the CDs, and the like can be displayed to the monitor. On the basis of this display, the user selects the CD by the remote controller and can select a desired piece of music with respect to the selected CD and can reproduce it. Various information represented by characters has previously been stored in the memory provided for the CD changer. In the example of the CD changer, different from the foregoing A/V amplifier, since information such as functions of the set, the number of discs, and the like is obvious, an optimum memory construction can be used. In this case, however, the user has to operate the remote controllers of both of the A/V amplifier and the CD changer.